Tuesday Art ATTACK- Patrick Nagel “Pin-Up in Black”

No artist's style uniquely captured the essence of the 1980s better then the work of American artist Patrick Nagel. Nagel was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1945 but was raised in Orange County, California. After high school Nagel served in the Army and was deployed to Veitnam. After he returned from the war he received his arts education from Chouinard Art Institute and California State University, Fullerton. After graduation Nagel began to establish himself as a commercial illustrator working for companies like IBM and Ballantine Scotch. In the mid-1970s his career took off when he started illustrating stories for Playboy Magazine. He became known for his New Wave Art Deco style. Nagel would create a look and atheistic that would resonate throughout the 1980s. With their bold features and suggestive expressions it's no wonder why his women were his most popular work. Nagel unfortunately would not live to see the lasting impact, he prematurely passed away in 1985 of a heart attack. The work above is titled "Pin-Up in Black" and was sold as a print during his lifetime. If you have ever been to a hair salon you have a least seen rip-offs of his work.